Songs from Dead Tongues
by Draco's Daughter
Summary: Once upon a time, two Silver Princes met, fell in love, and were torn apart from one another by a conspiring ruler. Thousands of years later, the two Silver Princes are reunited with a single goal driving them – Revenge.
1. The Gods that Die by Our Hands

**Songs from Dead Tongues**  
><strong>by<strong>  
><strong>Draco's Daughter<strong>

Summary: Once upon a time, two Silver Princes met, fell in love, and were torn apart from one another by a conspiring ruler. Thousands of years later, the two Silver Princes are reunited with a single goal driving them – Revenge.

_a.k.a. That Hellboy/ Avengers Crossover you never knew you wanted._

**Pairings:** Nuada/Loki, Hellboy/Liz, John Myers/OMC (more added as needed)

**Warnings:** M/M Content, Past MPreg, Creepy!Hel, Violence, Cursing (more added as needed)

**Disclaimer:** All Marvel characters and properties are (c) Marvel Studios & Disney, All Hellboy Characters are (c) Dark Horse Comics, Mike Mignola, & Guillermo del Toro. Please forgive any abuse of Norse and Irish mythology. All original characters are (c) Draco's Daughter/ Ashley Shadowheart.

-x-x-x-

_Chapter One: The Gods that Die by our Hands_

It was a minor set-back in the grand scheme of things. He knew when he reflected on the events of the past months that he should have planned just a little better. However, he was a god of Chaos and did have many, many allies in strange places…

The hellicarrier still needed many repairs to get it back in proper working order. They were still working on finding and repairing all of the damage that Loki's actions had caused. No one noticed the lone figure that stalked the half-dark corridors, her long, pale fingers trailing along one wall. Patterns of rust and mold blossomed wherever she touched, appearing only moments after her fingertips trailed past. She hummed a haunting, nameless tune as she walked – a lull-a-bye of darkness and death. It was the sort of tune that you heard only in your last moments, comforting and frightening all at the same time.

Workers and agents passed her as she walked, no one noticing anything other than a soft chill in the air as she walked by. She soon came to the main command area, looking around with a sweet but insane smile as she continued her slow walk, wandering around the various consuls and touching them with her black and withered right hand. No one paid her any mind as she worked her way around the large room, all absorbed in their work. She moved to stand in the center of the room at Fury's command station, there was a gentle hum as a creature of death came to stand next to her, his dead eyes unblinking.

"Show them what awaits them…" was her soft, gentle command. It ended with a girlish giggle as chaos broke out in various parts of the hellicarrier, her soldiers dutifully fulfilling their mistress's commands.

-x-x-

Loki sat in the center of his little glass prison, eyes closed in meditation. The magic dampening cuffs that encircled his wrists kept him from sending out a web of magical energy that would alert him to any changes in the hellicarrier like he had been able to do during his first imprisonment. He could not make any vocalizations due to the muzzle that covered his mouth.

His eyes opened slowly when he heard the explosion somewhere deep in the Hellicarrier. Humming softly behind his muzzle, he couldn't help but wonder what was happening this time. It wasn't a moment before the door that led to his cage opened to reveal a pair of armed and armored guards, moving to position themselves around his prison. Loki would have asked what was going on, but his muzzle prevented all that. All he could do was make a quizzical noise that went unanswered. But the guards looked tense, so Loki knew it was something interesting at least. So Loki would wait…

It didn't take long until something interesting DID happen. The door that led to Loki's prison was blown off its hinges, causing the guards to jump lightly and smoke to fill the hole that was left. Loki barely flinched, blinking as he watched the dust clear, his two guards shifting as they prepared their weapons for a fight.

"Halt! Who goes?" One of the guards yelled, watching the door. It took only a moment before a snow-white being clad in black jumped through the doorway, almost moving faster than the eye could see. The two guards began to fire at the figure, but in a whirl of a lance the guards were dispatched with a grace and finesse that Loki had not seen in years. Once the two guards lay dead on the floor, the figure stood proud, his back to Loki as he held his spear against his shoulder. Loki watched as the spear shrunk into a more manageable size and the figure of white and black sheathed his weapon on his back. Loki took in a deep breath as he realized exactly WHO this contrasting figure was as he approached the consol that held the controls of the cage. Examining it for a few moments, he pressed a single button, opening the cage door. Loki stood stock-still in the middle of his prison, daring to dream of who he was being rescued by. Once the door had slid open, his savior strode forward with a confidence brought about by long existence and damn good breeding.

"My beautiful one… what have these fools done…" his voice is as velvet smooth as the first time they met and it brings tears to Loki's eyes. At the merest hint of his voice, Loki managed to choke out a sob, the sound a mix of relief, joy, and wonderment. Swiftly, his savior approached, kneeling down in front of him. Milk-white hands reached up to caress his hair gently, soothing him. Loki couldn't help but lean towards his savior, a soft, pleased hum emerging from his throat. His scent, his touch, his energy… everything about this figure was calming and reassuring.

"I'll get this off you." Immediately, fingers just as skilled with the small, fiddly parts of dwarven mechanisms as with his weapon moved to the latch of Loki's muzzle, quickly figuring it out without even having to look at it. Loki let out a relieved sigh as the muzzle came free, the cursed contraption tossed to the side of the cage. Loki wetted his lips, looking into his savior's golden-red eyes.

"Nuada…" he breathed, the name rolling easily off his lips in a caressing tone. Nuada smiled warmly, leaning in to kiss Loki deeply as his hands moved to the cuffs, finding ways around the mechanisms to free Loki's hands as they kissed, ignoring whatever danger might be around them in the joy of their reunion. Once Loki's hands were freed, they parted, Loki leaning his forehead against Nuada's, his hands finding their way into Nuada's long white hair.

Nuada smiled lightly, petting Loki's hair and cheek in turn. "They will pay for what they've done to you… to us… will this please you, my love?"

"It pleases me to have you here with me," Loki replied, breathless. Nuada smiled as he stood, holding Loki close to him. Loki's weakness was a mix of surprise and the fact his magic had been dampened and needed time to recover. The still-fresh injuries from the Hulk's attack also caused him much physical weakness. He clung to Nuada for support, hands gripping the embossed leather chest plate.

"Loki!" Loki grimaced as he heard his brother's booming voice.

"What horrid timing…" Loki groaned as he leaned against Nuada. Nuada glared at Thor as the thunderer entered, the glare was mutual.

"Prince Nuada…" Thor stated, his voice almost a whisper of disgust as his hand grasped the handle of Mjolnir tightly. Nuada only smiled darkly at Thor, wrapping his arms around Loki.

"So sorry to de-rail your plans, Odinson, but I'll be taking back what is mine now," Nuada said, his voice velvet smooth and dangerous. The possessiveness in Nuada's voice caused chills to run down Loki's spine. Immediately, Nuada made use of the elfin magic he possessed to move them from the glass prison and the hellicarrier all together, Thor's loud cursing following them.

-X-X-

"Okay, so why weren't we informed that Loki had a hot boyfriend with access to Zombies?" Tony asked, arms crossed as he settled Thor with a light glare. The Aesir fidgeted lightly, looking up at his armored companion. Not once, but TWICE had one of Tony's "babies" been assaulted by someone in connection to Loki, this time it was some snow-white warrior with a legion of undead that refused to die. However, the Zombies had disappeared quickly after Nuada and Loki did, leaving them all to deal with a series of mechanical and technical failures that had crippled the Hellicarrier just enough to make it difficult to deal with, but able to bring it down safely so the damage could be assessed and repaired.

"Because Prince Nuada was supposed to be dead," Thor replied.

"What do you mean _supposed_ to be dead?" Nick Fury asked, not liking this situation one bit.

"Nothing more than that, Prince Nuada Silverlance died trying to reclaim the Golden Army; he was the last son of the Bethmoora clan and heir to their throne… Loki was rather upset when we heard the news…" Thor said, biting his lip lightly in worry.

"Okay, so if he's supposed to be dead, how and why did he show up on my hellicarrier and decimate the best that Earth has to offer with a handful of half-rotted corpses?" Nick Fury retorted, watching Thor closely. Thor ran a hand through his hair, seeking the words to explain the situation the best.

"I know not… it is as strange to me as it is to you…" Thor said, the uncertainty in his voice set the whole group on edge as they watched the security footage of Loki's escape. Seeing the elf prince easily dispatch the guards and then undoing the cuffs and muzzle without problem was a slap in the face, Tony had designed them to be nigh impossible to remove by anyone who wasn't aware of their construction. Clearly, they had underestimated their opponents once again…

"Well, the obvious answer is that Snow White here is a zombie himself," Tony stated bluntly, tapping his chin in thought. Everyone settled him with a look. "What? It fits!"

"Your theory might hold water if Nuada was like the others… they had no heat signatures, Nuada did," Natasha stated, pulling a set of data over from one of Tony's many floating screens that proved her point.

"That still doesn't explain how any of these… things… got here in the first place. I mean, they and the Prince did just appear out of no-where all of a sudden, no warning… and the equipment failures, too," Steve mentioned, looking to where many of the consoles were being repaired thanks to electrical failures. They were finding many wires that had somehow rotted from the inside-out and now needed replacing.

"There are also large sections of the hull that are damaged in odd ways. Rust patterns that shouldn't be there. All of this stuff is brand-new; there shouldn't be a speck of rust anywhere. And the mold, how the hell does mold form on metal in a relatively dry environment?" Natasha added.

"All of this seems to be adding up to one conclusion," Thor stated, looking up with a look of realization on his face. Looking around the room, he spoke in his loud, commanding voice. "Hel! I know your handiwork, show yourself!"

At his words, the group could hear a soft, dark laugh. All heads turned to a shadowy corner of the room where they could see a small figure, no larger than a seven year old child. Her long raven-black hair fell in waves down past her waist and her dress called to mind archaic burial shrouds. But the most frightening thing about her was the fact the entirety of her right side was decayed and rotting, and her left side was entirely normal, even if her skin was the same shade of milk-white as Nuada's.

"Uncle… I did wonder how long it would take you to come to your senses and realize I was here," she stated, her voice airy and light as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"What is your game this time, Hel? Speak now and speak true," Thor said, drawing himself up to his full height.

"Woah woah woah… are we talking THE Hel here? As in Hel, Queen of Nifelheim, realm of the dead?" Tony said, blinking in surprise.

"Indeed you are speaking with Hel Lokajardottir," the little girl stated with a giggle, walking out of the shadows. "Or is it Hel Nuadadottir? I'm not really sure… Either way, I miss my Merchant of Death, Tony Stark… you used to send me so many playmates…"

Tony looked absolutely shocked that a goddess would know who he was and actually admit to being a fan. He wasn't sure if he should take it as a compliment or be extremely creeped out and disturbed by her comment. It certainly shut him up for a good five minutes. However, Thor took charge again, placing himself between Hel and his companions, not knowing what she would do.

"Hel, stop this nonsense immediately. Why would you release someone from your charge and send them here with your warriors?" Thor questioned. Hel settled him with a dark look, her mis-matched eyes harsh and unforgiving.

"Because it is high time I take from you what you and Odin took from me, dear uncle. My father, my mother, my childhood, my brothers… _everything,_" Hel said, her tone becoming much darker.

"So you would willingly allow Ragnarok?" Thor asked, adjusting his grip on Mjolnir. However, it would do him no good to attack Hel. As the Queen of the Dead it was impossible for her to die, and one touch from her decayed right hand could kill even an Aesir.

"I would burn all of the Nine Realms to the ground in order to have my revenge," Hel stated, smiling. Her half-skeletal smile was so very unnerving. It spoke of death and destruction and pure glee at the thought of it all.

"So be it then, Hel… just remember, you brought this fight down upon yourself," Thor stated. Hel could only laugh as she dissolved into mist and dissipated.

"You cannot kill that which is already dead, dear Uncle," Her words and laughter echoed long after she disappeared. Thor's grip on Mjolnir didn't waver, his eyes closing as a thousand painful memories flooded back to him at seeing his niece again.

"Sounds like you have one hell of a story to tell us, Thor Odinson," Nick Fury said. Thor sighed heavily, Hel's revelation of what she had done in reviving Prince Nuada weighed heavily on his shoulders, especially when one took into consideration what she was ready to bring down upon their heads in order to get revenge.

Never before had Hel shirked her duty of keeping the realm of the dead under control. She had power over life and death, the ability to end and preserve. However, very rarely had she ever truly brought someone back from complete and total death. She really wasn't supposed to do that, what was dead was supposed to stay dead.

"It is a very long tale that even I am not totally sure of, but I shall do my best," Thor said, finally turning to look at Fury and his fellow Avengers, all with curious faces.

"Take your time in gathering your thoughts. I've got a phone call to make, if Nuada's back we're going to want to let the B.P.R.D. know," Fury said, turning on his heel and walking away.

-x-x-

Nuada had transported them to one of his many hide-outs carved out of the secret places in the world. They were all small, not the elaborate palaces that the Prince had once been privy to. They kept his opponents guessing and ensured that he was always difficult to find, blending in with lower-born monsters who cared little for rank or status, but were more interested in keeping a quiet, low profile. Loki clung to Nuada, weak and boneless. It was a weakness he would never show anyone else, because everyone else would use it as a tool against him. Not Nuada, Nuada was all gentle hands and whispered comfort as he moved to settle Loki down on a soft pallet of fur close to the small fire pit.

"Let me get a fire going," Nuada said softly, detangling Loki's arms from around his neck, pressing a gentle kiss to Loki's temple. Loki lightly shook his head, trying to cling to Nuada, to pull him down onto the pallet with him. Nuada chuckled gently, placing additional kisses to Loki's skin. "I won't even have to leave the cave, hush."

Loki finally relented, relaxing back to watch Nuada as he busied himself with moving to hidden compartments and chests, pulling out dry tinder and wood to prepare a small fire to warm them. He did not take his eyes off of the Elfin prince, the last time they had been together had been several weeks before Thor's failed coronation. Nuada had confided in him about how he had finally managed to track down the long-lost piece of the Crown of Bethmoora that had been given to the humans, how he planned to move to take it back and then summon the Golden Army. Within a week he was dead.

Loki had not been able to mourn publicly due to Odin's declaration that Nuada was a traitor, an oath-breaker, and a war-monger. He was effectively demonized in Asgard, so Loki had to take his mourning of his beloved behind closed doors, which may or may not have played a part in his decision to ruin Thor's coronation.

"How?" Loki asked, his voice small and subdued. Nuada smiled lightly as he quickly coaxed their fire into life.

"Having Hel for a daughter certainly has some small perks," Nuada said, looking back at Loki with nothing but love in his eyes. Tonight was their reunion, tomorrow was for revenge. Once the flames were providing suitable warmth, Nuada sat down next to Loki, hands gently touching the wounds on his face from the Hulk. Healing, green magick emerged from Nuada's fingertips, causing the cuts and bruises on Loki's face to face away. Loki leaned into Nuada's touch, sighing in a contented manner as he was healed. Elfin magick was so very different from Aesir magick, it came from an entirely different place with an entirely different feel. It flowed better over Loki, healing him quicker. He one thought that Nuada had a better grasp on the healing arts, but he now knew it had more to do with the fact that Jotun magick and Elfin magick were highly similar the two natural energies blending better than Aesir and Jotun.

"Rest your weary form, my Love, we can discuss more on the 'morrow," Nuada whispered softly. Loki nodded, too tired and overwhelmed with the events of the past few days to even think of protesting. He relaxed close to Nuada as the pair settled down on the furs, in a few moments Loki's eyes closed and he quickly found himself falling into a deep, untroubled sleep.

-x-x-x-x-


	2. Ancient Nightmares, Archaic Legends

**Songs from Dead Tongues**

Author's Notes: One thing I want and need to make perfectly clear is that Nuada is NOT based on Norse mythology. This is something that a lot of Loki/Nuada shippers get wrong. In their scramble to hook these two up, they don't delve far enough into Guillermo del Toro's inspirations, namely Irish mythology (Nuada Silverlance is based in part on Nuada SilverHand, a King of the Tuatha de Danaan), they just apply Norse Mythology and that makes me a sad panda. I've been trying to delve into it myself, but it's difficult because a lot of it has been lost or it just gets lumped in with Celtic myth which is related, but not quite the same.

**Disclaimer:** All Marvel characters and properties are (c) Marvel Studios & Disney, All Hellboy Characters are (c) Dark Horse Comics, Mike Mignola, & Guillermo del Toro. Please forgive any abuse of Norse and Irish mythology. All original characters are (c) Draco's Daughter/ Ashley Shadowheart.

-x-x-x-

_Chapter Two: Ancient Nightmares, Archaic Legends, Enigmatic Dreams… All of this is True_

"Are we there yet?"

"Stark, you ask that one more time…"

"It's a legitimate question! You didn't even tell us where we're going; it was just all "Okay kids! Load up in the Quinn Jet! We're going on an adventure!"

Steve Rodgers lightly massaged his temples, the mood in the Quinn Jet was tense at best with Tony and Fury trapped close together in such a small space. So much snark, so little time… Fury looked like he was about to strangle Tony (which all things considered was Fury's natural response to Tony), while Tony was taking his usual childish glee in pissing off the SHEILD director. Looking around the jet, Steve took note of his teammates' current demeanor. Natasha and Clint where curled up against one another, half- asleep. The pair was used to grabbing rest at any opportunity, so nothing short of an emergency would make them move. Bruce sat analyzing data from the Hellicarrier concerning Hel's attack; he had taken samples of the rust and mold, studying their composition. He was making notes in a small moleskin notebook, muttering quietly to himself as he worked.

Steve's gaze moved on to Thor, the Thunderer was sitting apart from the rest of the group, his head rested on his hands, elbows resting on his knees. He was oddly quiet and pensive, his eyes showing his mind was far, far away. Steve got up and approached Thor, sitting down next to him.

"Are you okay?" Steve asked. Thor blinked lightly, looking over at Steve.

"Tis a heavy cloud that hangs over my head, my friend. The recent events have many grave implications for this realm and others," Thor replied.

"You mean Loki and this Nuada guy teaming up?" Steve asked.

"Indeed… but it's not just that they are teaming up. We always knew that Nuada held radical ideas, and now that Loki has rejected Asgard and a great many of his old morals…" Thor trailed off, his expression dark and foreboding.

"We'll be landing in 10, Director," the pilot said, interrupting their conversation.

"Thank god!" Tony declared, being an ass still.

-x-x-

The BPRD had certainly made several changes since the threat of mass quitting after the Golden Army incident. There was a very different atmosphere around the organization, one that allowed their agents a better amount of freedom, as much as could be safely afforded. Luckily the public's eye and massive PR machine had drifted off to other distractions, giving them time to recover from the insanity. The arrival of the twins had also caused some big changes, which included a very important new designation for several "lucky" agents…

"Six, seven, eight, nine… TEN! Ready or not, here I come!"

John T. Myers would never call himself a family man, nor did he have much experience with kids, so he was damn grateful that his werewolf boyfriend was great with kids. Many agents were wary around the twins, especially since their daddy had a bad habit of standing over one's shoulder and glowering, but not Swiftbolt. The werewolf was forever unfazed by Hellboy's intimidation techniques and had the added bonus of having helped raise a few pups of his own in the past, making him a damn good babysitter in tandem with "Uncle" John.

No one was exactly sure how the agent had earned coveted "uncle" status, but he had. Of all their baby sitters, the twins loved John the best, with Swiftbolt coming a close second. There was a rotating schedule of agents that kept an eye on the twins, but the task normally fell to Swiftbolt and John unless the pair was absolutely needed for a mission. Since the human was now dating the werewolf, Hellboy no longer viewed him as a threat and had been able to make peace; it helped that Trevor and Jonas adored him. Speaking of which…

"Found ya!" Swiftbolt declared to the twin shrieks of Trevor and Jonas, the two young quarter-demons leaping up from their hiding spot and fleeing from the werewolf's outstretched arms. The hangar made for the best games of "hide and seek" with all of its nooks and crannies, crates and containers to hide around and in.

"Uncle John's base!" Trevor declared as he ran to the human agent, leaping up into his lap. John let out a light "oof" as he caught Trevor, almost falling off the crate he was sitting on as he watched Swiftbolt and the twins playing. Trevor was the active, sqiggly one who was forever getting into mischief, the very image of his father's personality.

"No fair! No fair!" Jonas whined as Trevor squirmed into John's lap, making himself comfortable. John chuckled softly as Swiftbolt approached stealthy, moving very quietly for a six-foot-two man, quickly scooping the unsuspecting Jonas up into a big bear hug, fingers tickling his sides to pull squeals of delight from the young quarter-demon.

"I got one!" Swiftbolt declared, nuzzling and blowing raspberries against Jonas's skin. With a grin, John swiftly grabbed Trevor close, ticking him as well.

"Waaaaaaah! Uncle John! Nooooo!" Trevor declared as he squirmed in John's grip, attempting to escape even as he began to laugh his head off.

"Who said I was base half-way through, hmm? What did we say about changing the rules?" John asked, continuing his assault. Trevor squirmed and attempted to call for Swiftbolt's help through bouts of laughter, but the werewolf only chuckled, Jonas resting happily on his hip, the little quarter-demon's tail lazily wrapped around his waist for security.

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Swiftbolt suddenly stilled looking towards the hangar door.

"Uncle Swiftbolt?" Jonas asked, gripping the front of the twill trench coat Swiftbolt wore while in human form and looking up at him with big, expressive eyes. Jonas took more after Liz, quiet and very observant.

"Open your senses, child… can you hear that?" Swiftbolt asked, looking down at his young charge. Jonas closed his eyes and stilled himself, listening. Few children his age would ever willingly sit still and listen, but he was very good at it already.

"Plane," the little demon replied after a few moments, opening his eyes and looking back up at Swiftbolt, who grinned wide.

"Very good," he said, looking back to John. "But the real question is who's arriving?"

John moved to stand, helping Trevor slip down off the crate as well. The little demon moved to curl a hand in John's pant leg, looking up curiously at the two adults.

"Dr. Krauss isn't due back for another week or so, and Kate won't be back from Tibet until next month," John stated, running down a mental list of agents who were out in the field that would be using one of the BPRD aircraft. His eyes met Swiftbolt's, who nodded to him; the wolf had reached a decision for them…

"Alright! Last one back to the family quarters is a smelly manticore!" Swiftbolt announced, looking at Jonas and then Trevor with a big, mischievous smile.

"But Uncle Swiftbolt! I wanna see who's coming!" Trevor whined, looking up at Swiftbolt with big, pleading eyes. Jonas chimed in with noises of protest as well, squirming in Swiftbolt's hold. The werewolf set Jonas down before kneeling down to the twin's eye-level, looking at them both seriously.

"Do you remember what your mommy and daddy and Director Manning told you about being seen by visitors?" Swiftbolt asked. The twins fidgeted a bit under his gaze before answering.

"If they're not BPRD, they're not supposed to see us," the twins chimed back in perfect unison, hints of disappointment in their voices. They both had more of their father in them than sometimes even Hellboy admitted.

"And why are you not supposed to be seen?" Swiftbolt asked, still serious and keeping eye-contact with the twins.

"Cuz not everyone understands about us bein' part-demon," Jonas supplied in his small, quiet voice as Trevor fidgeted.

"Very good…. And your daddy would also skin me alive if someone tried to hurt you on my watch, so we're all going to make sure that doesn't happen," Swiftbolt said, lightly ruffling Trevor's hair before standing once more. "So! If you two come without a fuss I'll tell you about the time your daddy ran afoul of Goddess Hekate herself!"

With the promise of a story about their daddy, Trevor and Jonas each took one of Swiftbolt's hands and let their werewolf uncle lead them towards the exit. John chuckled softly as he watched them before he heard the mechanism that controlled the hangar door buzz into life, opening the door as the sound of an approaching jet became clear to even his human ears.

"I hope Manning is expecting company," he commented before moving to follow Swiftbolt and the twins. As they were leaving, a party was approaching led by Manning himself. There were a few agents, but most importantly Liz and Hellboy were among them.

"Mama! Daddy!" The twins declared both letting go of Swiftbolt's hands and running to greet their parents.

"Hey, there you two are!" Hellboy said with his usual good humor, easily scooping up both boys. The pair were talking quickly, telling their father about their game of hide-and-seek as well as begging him to let them come with him.

"And there's our wayward werewolf, I need you to come with us, we'll need your input," Manning commented, looking to Swiftbolt.

"Aww, I'm touched! The mighty Manning needs lil' old me," Swiftbolt said, lightly nudging John with his elbow. John politely smiled and said nothing, forever neutral in the ongoing Manning/ In-human war.

"Hellboy, let Agent Myers take the twins back to the family quarters. We've got guests arriving," Manning stated, looking back to the demon.

"Aww, how come we can't stay," Trevor whined from his place on his daddy's shoulder.

"Because this is work-related," Manning stated. The twins could never get any quarter from the Director, no matter how hard they tried.

"Uncle Swiftbolt promised story…" Jonas stated, his voice very quiet as he spoke to Manning, rarely actually having the courage to do so.

"Come on you two, let's go get you settled down for your afternoon nap," Liz stated, accepting Jonas from Hellboy before the demon set Trevor down on the floor, giving him a small nudge to encourage him to follow Liz. "I'll catch up with the rest of you at the meeting."

"But mama… uncle Swiftbolt's story," Jonas complained, his voice a near-whine.

"I promise I'll tell it to you later, but you have to be good for your mama and Uncle John, okay?" Swiftbolt said, gently ruffling Jonas's hair. The quarter-demon sighed but nodded, laying his head down onto Liz's shoulder as she, Trevor, and John headed back towards the entrance to the hangar. Swiftbolt turned to fall into step with Hellboy.

"So, we ARE expecting company?" He asked, looking to the demon.

"Manning got a call from another secret branch of the US special forces, SHEILD. We haven't sat down with them in a long time, so you know that when they call it's something big. They're meeting us for a conference session, but Manning's being all secretive about the reason for it," Hellboy explained as they moved to stand and wait for the arrival of this mysterious SHIELD group. Swiftbolt hummed his understanding of the situation, standing next to Hellboy and crossing his arms over his chest as the hangar doors were opened wide to allow a decent-sized jet inside. Hellboy whistled, impressed.

"Looks like they get the shiny toys, much better funded than we are the lucky bastards," he commented, nudging Swiftbolt who only gave a soft snort at the comment. As the jet came to a stop, the back hatch opened up, letting out a man with an eye patch and dressed in a long, black trench, followed closely by two agents.

"Director Manning thanks for hosting us on such short notice," the man in the trench coat stated, approaching Manning, who stepped forward to shake hands.

"Anything for SHIELD, Director Fury. You mind telling me what all this is about?" Manning asked.

"Let's get all of the shocked introductions out of the way first," Fury replied, nodding respectfully to Hellboy who gave an acknowledging nod of his own.

"Fury, how you been? It's been a long time," Hellboy commented.

"Too long," Fury replied with a half-smirk. "We can catch up later. Right now I'd like to introduce the Avengers."

"Finally he gives us our cue!" was Tony's frustrated statement as he, Steve, Thor, and Bruce emerged from the back of the jet. "He makes us sound like some kind of boy band…"

"Stark, please," Steve said with a exhausted sigh. Hellboy's eyes were as big as saucers and Swiftbolt immediately dropped to one knee, a hand over his heart and head bowed reverently.

"Holy shit… Captain America," Hellboy stated.

"Captain," was all Swiftbolt said, his voice low and reverent.

-x-x-

Far away from any human activity, Loki shifted lightly, feeling the warmth and weight next to him. His mind wondered why SHIELD had suddenly allowed him a cell-mate before he remembered… he was _free_ and it was his beloved Nuada lying next to him on the fur pallet. His eyes opened as he looked over to see his Elfin lover wide awake and silently observing him. Seeing that Loki was awake, Nuada's dark lips formed into a smile as he gently moved to caress Loki's cheek.

"Sleep well?" He asked, his voice low and rough. Loki could only nod in reply, words failing him at the boon he had finally been granted. "Good… I'd get us breakfast but I'm afraid I'm too comfortable to move at the moment."

At that Loki had to smile lightly, moving to caress Nuada's cheek in turn, thumb running along the Royal Scars that ran across his face. So very much like the lines of his Jotun form…

"I thought you lost to me forever…" Loki whispered, finally finding his voice. His energy had been much restored and his magic was now quietly taking care of his unhealed wounds.

"I thought the same as well, but our little schemer decided that it was high time you had something go right for once," Nuada replied, leaning down to kiss Loki. Ah, so Hel was involved in all of this, Loki smiled lightly as he returned the kiss whole-heartedly. "She saw fit to return me to you, my love. She has broken her sacred vows, returning one who was dead to the realm of the living at full power, even going to far as to break the ties that my sister and I once shared. She saw fit to keep Nuala in her realm, in enchanted sleep as not to disturb any plans we may craft." Loki could do nothing but smile sadly. He had not seen his beloved daughter in a very long time.

"The humans will not stand for my release nor your return. If I heard right you made yourself quite the enemy in that Hellboy creature," Loki stated softly, a hand starting to run through Nuada's hair, twirling the strands around his fingers.

"They will all burn in our wake, my love," Nuada stated, taking Loki's hand to kiss each finger individually before kissing his palm and wrist. Loki couldn't help but shiver in anticipation of the unspoken promises Nuada's kisses bore. He had forgotten how tender a lover Nuada could be. Nuada Silverlance was a renowned warrior and leader, his soul burning brightly with passion and purpose. What was less well known was that his affections ran just as strong – he was a possessive lover without being a jealous lover. It was only with Nuada that Loki had ever felt safe, loved, and protected.

"Nuada… I cannot believe that nothing has changed…" Loki stated softly, his voice full of worry. He watched as confusion clouded Nuada's eyes for a moment, thinking of what Loki meant. "I… I am not Aesir…"

"I know…" Nuada whispered. Loki blinked.

"You knew?" He asked, watching Nuada.

"Yes, I had my suspicions but was unsure due to you presenting yourself as Aesir. I had known the Jotun long before I met you, I knew of their ways and their forms. When Hel was conceived I began to wonder what you truly were, for the Aesir are most definitely a two-gendered people. No matter how much Odin told everyone that you conceived only because you possessed magic that no other man ever had and that you could change your shape, I knew that wasn't the truth. I know enough about magic to know that such a feat does not happen by chance," Nuada explained, golden-red eyes burning with an inner fire. Loki found himself entrapped in those eyes, any protest dying on his tongue. "I knew that Odin was lying to you, but I did not want to burden you with yet another problem at that time, having to deal with so much… I had also hoped that you would figure it out quickly on your own, you were always so clever."

Nuada leaned down to nip at Loki's throat, smirking lightly against his flesh.

"My suspicions were quite confirmed when I first laid eyes on Hel and saw her Royal Lines. She bears both the royal scars of Bethmoora and the lines of the house of Laufey. I traveled to Jotunheim in attempt to gain an audience with Laufey- to see if he had a missing prince in need of returning- but he would not receive me," Nuada stated. Loki shivered lightly, holding tightly to Nuada. Nuada had known this whole time? And he had still loved him for all these centuries?

"But… I am a monster," Loki said, his voice soft and small. Nuada shook his head, making Loki look right into his smoldering eyes.

"No, you are no more monster than I, my light, my love, my all. The Jotun and the Tuatha de Danaan are not so different in the eyes of the Aesir, we are both too close to the elements that spawned us, making them fear us," Nuada said, he gripped Loki's chin lightly, tracing a thumb over his lips as he leaned in closer to whisper breathily into Loki's ear. "I want to see you for what you truly are… I wish to see the form that allowed you to give me the greatest gift I ever received… the form that gave us our Hel."

Loki shivered gently as Nuada's words entered his mind, letting him know that no matter what Nuada loved and accepted him. Why was he even worried in the first place? Nuada had been one of the few constants in his life that kept him going with support and encouragement, no matter what he had been pursuing. Had it not been Nuada himself who taught Loki how to walk the dark paths of the world tree, the very paths that kept him out of Heimdall's sight? The secret ways the Tuatha du Danaan used to keep their court dealings away from the prying eyes of Heimdall? Nuada was not of the Aesir, who turned their noses up at anything they perceived as weak or dishonorable. He was a good warrior and tactician because he recognized that all people and aspects mattered and took time to understand the abilities that promising people possessed, be they "honorable" or no.

With a slow exhale, Loki closed his eyes and concentrated. It took effort to dispel Odin's glamour, it had been ingrained into his very being by the All-Father, but now that he was aware of it he could lift it. He kept his eyes closed as he felt himself shift, the raised royal lines that declared him of Laufey's line and blue skin overtaking the unmarred Aesir pink.

"There you are…" he heard Nuada whisper in an encouraging manner, hands gently starting to caress the lines of his face, fingertips tracing along them, sending little shivers down Loki's spine. Slowly, he opened fiery red eyes, looking up into Nuada's golden-red ones. It had surprised him how close the Tuatha de Danaan and the Jotun were. The natural Lines declaring their lineages, the fiery eyes of gold and red…

Seeing the light of love intensified in Nuada's eyes was so very exhilarating. Until this moment, Loki had despised his Jotun form - and part of him always would thanks to Odin and the Aesir – but seeing how much Nuada still adored him gave him that much more confidence in himself.

"You are most definitely not a monster. Look my beloved," Nuada said, lifting Loki's hand back to his lips, kissing his palm and the inside of his wrist again. He then intertwined their fingers, the bone white and icy blue of their respective skins making a rather pretty picture. Loki couldn't help but smile as he looked at their intertwined fingers. In this moment he felt so normal, in this moment they were just two lovers sharing everything they had to give to one another. Nuada glanced back down at Loki's face, watching him before moving to kiss him full on the lips again, the act returned by his Jotun lover. Loki moved to let go of Nuada's hand, moving to fist his hand in Nuada's hair as the Elf Prince's kiss became hungrier, a tongue slid into his mouth as a hand moved to seek out the clasps of Loki's armored tunic, revealing a blue, Lined throat and chest quickly.

As Nuada's hand moved to caress down Loki's body a noise emerged from Loki's throat that certainly wasn't one of pleasure. It was a pained noise as Nuada's fingertips brushed against deep purple bruising, causing the Elfin Prince to pull away and look down, a noise of sympathy emerging from his throat.

"Who did these?" Nuada asked, they did not look fresh.

"They will heal," Loki stated quietly, looking away. He did not want to speak of them… not yet. However, Nuada was having none of that and moved to force Loki to look at him once again.

"Tell me everything," he commanded, gentle but firm. And so the story came out, about how Loki allowed Jotun into the Aesir palace to interrupt Thor's coronation, about how he had learned of his true heritage, about how he nearly killed the mortal Thor, destroyed the Bifrost, and fell into oblivion. He had wanted to die, to follow Nuada into the realm of death and remain there forever content because nothing could tear them apart ever again. But he had not found death, instead he had been found by Thanos and the Chitauri…

"They were most… persuasive… in securing my assistance in obtaining the Tesseract, for reasons I know not," Loki finished, letting Nuada hold him tight as he recounted the tortures enacted upon his person to secure his loyalty. Internally, Nuada was shaking and vowing revenge upon this Thanos, no matter what it took, however he would not let his own anger show, not yet.

"You need proper healing," Nuada finally stated. Lightly, Loki shook his head.

"No… I will be fine, just let me rest," Loki begged, but Nuada was already on the move, standing up from the pallet to put out the last lingering embers of their fire.

"Those bruises should have been healed by now if your magick was working as it should. You are exhausted, physically and mentally, and need a proper healer. One with knowledge of skills that neither of us possess," Nuada said, moving to scoop Loki up. The Jotun could barely stand; wobbling lightly on his feet as he grabbed at Nuada's chest plate once again, only then did he nod in agreement to the idea of seeing a healer. Wrapping an arm tightly around Loki's waist, Nuada called once more on his Elfin magicks and in the blink of an eye they were gone as if they had never been in the small cave…

-x-x-x-x-

_To learn more about Swiftbolt, please check out my Hellboy story "The Ninth Circle." _


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